Meet Our Wonderful Team

Paula Jones

I work part time for a bank & have 2 children Lauren (PDA/ASD/MLD) & Ewan. Information, support & places to go were very limited when I started my autism journey. In 2012 I joined forces with Melanie & together we created Friends – Play for Disabled Children in the hope that we could help other families feel less isolated & have somewhere to turn to for support. We welcome new families to the group each week & are growing from strength to strength with the combined knowledge of group members. You will see me as Pink Lady at events regularly.

Melanie Battye

I work full time and have a daughter Saskia. Paula and I already knew each other before we formed the group in 2012. At this time Saskia was known as a S.W.A.N (syndrome without a name). Finally a year later we received 2 diagnosis within 3 weeks of each other, ASD and Syngap1 (rare genetic condition we were number 16 in the world). Friends to me is a way of socialising with other families, building a supportive network, and sharing information to increase our strength and knowledge in relation to the obstacles/challenges that we face on a daily basis.

Emma Roberts

I am married to Mark and we have lived in St Helens for the last 15 years. I work part time as a teacher and I have three children, Sophie, Olivia and James. Sophie has NF1, Hyperinsulinsim, CVI and is autistic. Olivia has autism, ADHD and Tourette’s. I have a brother with Down Syndrome so have grown up working and playing alongside children with a variety of disabilities. I still don’t think it quite prepared me for being a parent of a child with additional needs. It can be very stressful and exhausting but also very rewarding. We have been coming to friends events for two years now and have become more involved over the last few years. I very much look forward to meeting more of the families involved with friends and seeing you at our many events.